Black Forest Dreams
by Skwish
Summary: An air patrol of the 501st sets out in the early morning to locate a downed aircraft carrying important cargo, but instead find an ambush waiting for them. A downed Yoshika and Lynette must survive in the Karlsland forest until they can find rescue, against the Neuroi and the elements. Next chapter delayed to to RL complications.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

 _~6:30 AM, Western Karlsland_

Yoshika scanned the horizon once again, tense and on edge as they neared the point of last contact. She, along with a few other members of the 501st, including Trude, Lynette, and Shirley, were on a mission to locate a vital transport that had been lost early that morning. There had been no radio contact since around two in the morning. Of course, it was suspected to have been shot down, either from the air or the ground, so the witches kept their guards up as they searched.

The tense silence was broken at last as a voice rang out. "Look over there!" called Barkhorn, the formation leader, pointing to a glare of sunlight on metal. The area, in a rather large field surrounded by dense forestry, was littered with debris, some of the larger chunks easily identifiable as airplane parts. She descended slowly, losing a bit of altitude to observe more easily as they flew over. The others followed closely, every eye searching for movement on the ground that would indicate survivors... Or attackers.

A bright flash erupted from the treeline below, followed by an all-too-familiar screech as a red beam shot up at them. The formation scattered quickly as more beams fired from the forests surrounding the field. Clearly realizing that they had flown right into an ambush, Barkhorn ordered them to turn back, but it seemed too late. Lynette watched as Shirley struggled to block a direct blast of neuroi beam. The young Brittanian witch ducked and weaved, but the volume of fire coming up at them was simply overwhelming. As she raised her shield to block a beam, another came in from a different angle, blowing through her left striker. She let out a yell as the unbalanced thrust caused her to veer off of her course, headed to the ground.

At once, the others began diving to help her, but were called off by Trude. "We just can't, there's far too much fire coming in. I hate to say it, but we have to get as far away as we can before anyone else is hit!" Yoshika stared down in horror as Lynette tumbled lower, struggling to regain control.

After a glance up at Barkhorn and a moment of thought, she broke off from the formation against orders and dove after Lynne. She neared the trees, only to see the Brittanian witch crash through the roof of the forest. Yoshika slowed, looking down frantically to try and locate her, but couldn't get a good look through the trees. Just as she thought she caught a glimpse of the fallen witch, a beam lanced by right next to her, causing her to wince from the heat of such a close encounter. She threw her shield up just in time to stop most of another incoming beam with surely would have blown her apart, but her hasty shield gave way under the explosion of the laser, causing her to tumble downwards. She waved her legs wildly, trying to regain control of her flight but to no avail. She watched as the rest of the flight hurried away, before crashing through the trees.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 _~7:00 AM_

Yoshika searched frantically, pushing through the underbrush as quickly as she could to locate the other witch. She had ditched her broken strikers near a small clearing, now moving barefoot through the forest. Her clothing was torn in a few places, but still wearable, and she had several cuts and bruises, mostly from the fall through the tree canopy. Once more she called out for Lynne, listening closely for a reply. This time, she got one, a faint yell in return coming from off to her right. She moved quickly in that direction, ignoring the scratching of the bushes as she ran through them.

As she slowed herself down to slide down into a large ditch, probably left behind from a Neuroi's beam, she saw the Brittanian witch a way's down to her left. Lynne also seemed to notice her, and began moving over to Yoshika. She walked with a noticeable limp, sometimes even dragging her left leg along. "Lynne-chan!" Yoshika cried as she embraced her, careful not to cause any more injury. "What happened to you?" she asked in a panicked tone. "I-I got hit on my left striker," she said, pointing down to her bloodied leg. Yoshika eased her down into a laying position. She examined Lynette's leg closely. "It looks like most of it's shrapnel, so it shouldn't hurt you too badly... But it could still get infected." She summoned her familiar, her ears and tail appearing with a slight sound, and raised her hands. She began to heal Lynette, a focused expression on her face. After a few minutes, she sat back, breathing heavily. The Brittanian looked more or less healed, though her clothing was still bloodied.

Lynette looked up at the obviously drained Yoshika, sitting up experimentally and wincing in pain. "It might still hurt a little... I can't do anything about that, I'm sorry," she said, looking over to the other witch. Lynne nodded. "I think I can deal with that..." she said, attempting to stand up slowly. Yoshika stood and took Lynne's hand, helping her gently to her feet. She could hear the faint sounds of things moving in the forest around them... Big things. "We really need to find somewhere we can hide..." she said quietly, pulling Lynne along with her. She glanced around nervously as they moved. After a few minutes, they neared a steep rocky incline. Yoshika sat down, and Lynne followed suit as they stopped to catch their breath. The incline covered the area directly behind them, while the area before them was mostly blocked by thick foliage. "Does this look like an alright place to stay?" Yoshika asked. "Um... Well, it looks pretty hidden," Lynne replied, looking up and down the narrow gravel path that stretched along to their left and right. She laid back with a sigh, shuddering slightly. "God, what are we going to do? The others all left, and we don't even know if they'll be back..." Yoshika scooted closer, looking down at Lynette. "You know they'll be back," she said in a comforting tone. "All we have to do is avoid the enemy until they find us."

Lynne's brow furrowed in worry as she adjusted her jacket. "I hope you're right..."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 _~10:00 AM_

Lynne shuddered slightly as another cool breeze ran through the forest. She sighed and took another look around before sitting back against the rocky wall behind her. She closed her eyes for a few moments, thinking as she had been all morning about she and Yoshika's situation. _Speaking of Yoshika-chan, where is she? She said 'five minutes', but I think at this point it's been almost fifteen..._ She heard rustling to her front, sitting up slightly. The young Fuso witch popped out of the bushes, reaching back to grab something it seemed had gotten stuck in the bushes. Lynne watched in interest as Yoshika pulled out a long metal object- _My rifle!_ Lynne realized, getting up slowly and moving over. The other witch dropped the object and looked over to Lynne, rubbing the back of her head and smiling sheepishly. "Sorry I took so long... I hope you weren't worried. But look what I found!"

She presented the rather large 20mm rifle to Lynne. It looked quite beat up, covered in several chips and scratches and with the sights missing. "Oh, I didn't even think about where this thing might have been... I guess I dropped it," she said, staring down at the weapon. "Does it even work?" Yoshika shrugged. "I don't think we should test it, I saw a couple of neuroi while I was looking." The Brittanian looked shocked. "Y-you _saw_ them? How close were you?!" she asked, obviously worried. "Don't worry, I just watched them from across the field." Lynne grabbed her hand. "That's still close! What if they saw you?" she asked, forcing herself not to imagine. Yoshika, obviously a little overwhelmed by Lynne's response, looked up at her. "No, it was fine! I promise I won't get close to them again!" she said. Pulling her hand out of Lynne's with a slight blush, she moved back over to their spot by the rocks. "Anyway, I thought that might come in handy if we see... You know..." She gestured in the general direction of the large open field. Lynette nodded, moving over to sit by her. "Do you remember what happened to your weapon?" The Fuso witch just shook her head. "No idea." She leaned back against the incline, Lynne following suit with a sigh.

 _~11:30 AM_

Yoshika awoke, arching her back in a stretch against the rocky wall behind her. She looked around, not noticing any changes from the time she'd fallen asleep. She looked to her right and noticed she and Lynne had been leaning together, blushing softly as she slid away slowly, careful not to disturb the other, still sleeping witch. She stood up with another stretch, preparing to look around again when she stopped- _What was that sound?_ She listened closely, trying her best to be completely still. The sound came again, a series of thumps. The ground shook slightly each time the noise was repeated. She looked down the path to her right, where the sound seemed to be coming from. It took her a few moments more to realize the source of the sound as a large black pillar forced its way through the brush. She rushed back over to the sleeping witch, shaking her and whispering frantically. " _Lynne-chan! Lynne-chan, come on!_ " Lynne opened her eyes and gave Yoshika a drowsy look. "Mn-... What?" She obviously sensed the importance of Yoshika's tone, and struggled to stand up. The Fuso witch grabbed her arm and pulled her along quickly, ignorant to Lynne's cries of protest. She hurried around the same rocky incline they'd been staying near all morning, setting Lynnette and herself down behind a boulder. She made a shushing motion with her finger, sitting in silence and staring around the edge of the boulder. In the tense moments of waiting, they could both hear the large ground neuroi approaching, with the shaking getting more intense and the sound louder as it neared. Lynette pulled herself close to Yoshika, looking nervous as the sounds grew to an almost unbearable volume. After a few more moments, the neuroi was passing them by, heading down the path and knocking down loose branches and limbs as it passed.

After a while, Lynette relaxed against Yoshika, apparently unaware of how close she'd been holding the Fuso girl as Yoshika looked down at her. Lynne blushed and pulled herself off, looking down the road to make sure the neuroi had passed. Yoshika, with a sigh of relief, stood up and crept towards the gravel path. She knelt down to inspect the deep gashes in the terrain left by the creature's enormous legs. Lynne came up behind her, still looking nervous. "Maybe this place isn't as safe as we thought it was..." Yoshika nodded slowly, standing up and looking around. "Maybe on top?" she wondered, pointing up to the steep hill they'd been resting around. "Maybe..." Lynne muttered, moving over to look for a way up. Yoshika followed the Brittanian witch closely as she picked her way up the cliff between several rocks and branches jutting out. Once at the top, she struggled to pull herself up, both arms on the top but without the strength to make it all the way. Yoshika reached to push her up by the feet, cheeks flushed from the climb, and the excellent view of Lynne she had from below. The Brittanian finally managed to scramble up, reaching down to pull up Yoshika in return. They both lay on their backs at the top, breathing heavily. After a while of rest, Yoshika sat up and surveyed the area. It was mostly grassy and flat, open except for a few trees and a large boulder jutting out of the earth. She smiled and turned back to Lynette. "This place looks perfect! I think here we just have to worry about the air neuroi," she said, looking up. "But they're hardly ever a problem for people on the ground." Lynne smiled as she inspected the area as well, agreeing with Yoshika's appraisal.

Yoshika moved over to the largest of the trees, sitting against it with a sigh. Lynne followed her, smiling as she took a seat next to Yoshika. After a few moments, the Fuso witch's stomach could be heard grumbling. "Hungry?" Lynne asked, looking over. Yoshika, looking down, nodded. "M-hm..." she muttered. Lynne smiled and opened her pocket, reaching in. "This survived the fall!" she said, pulling out a wrapped chocolate bar she had been saving. "It might not fill you up, but..." She shrugged helplessly, breaking it neatly in half and handing a piece to the grinning Yoshika. The other witch gladly accepted it, taking a bite with a satisfied nod. "Thank you, Lynne-chan!" She said, biting into the bar once again. Lynne laughed as Yoshika quickly dug into her half. She smiled happily and allowed herself a little lean against Yoshika, earning a blush fom the witch. During that moment, she almost forgot they were stranded.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 _~7:00 AM_

Lynne inhaled sharply, lifting her head after a few moments of staring up at the sky. Her leg felt numb, and her back ached from the rough ground she had slept on. Luckily, it hadn't rained the night before, though a light mist floated on the cool morning air. She sat up fully now, rubbing her head and looking over at the sleeping figure curled up next to her. She sighed, looking around the flat-topped hill they had slept on. The only remnant of the beautiful moment she'd shared with Yoshika last night was the empty chocolate wrapper sitting next to them. Lynne stood up slowly, wincing as she put pressure on her left leg and wobbling slightly when she stood upright, but managing to do it. She walked over to the edge of the hill and looked down the steep, rocky slope to the gravel path. It had another set of marks in it, the tracks of some massive creature. _So they've been looking for us..._ She shivered at the thought of a Neuroi catching them in their sleep. Lynette moved back over to the sleeping Yoshika, watching her for a moment with a melancholy smile before sitting back against the tree with a sigh.

After a while, Yoshika stirred, letting out a yawn as she sat up. She turned until she noticed Lynne, giving her a warm smile as she reached her arms upwards in a stretch. "There was another Neuroi last night, sometime..." she said, gesturing over to the edge of the hill. "You can see the tracks in the road." Yoshika wandered over and stared down, nodding as she came back. "Yeah, I can see them..." She was obviously thinking the same thing Lynne had been. "Thank you, Lynne-chan, last night was great... Uh, with the chocolate, I mean," she corrected, obviously realizing how that had sounded. Lynne let out a giggle and stood, trying to see their surroundings through the mist. She shook her head and sat back down, unable to see much. Yoshika grabbed the hemline of her sailor's top, staring in distaste at the dried blood there. After a few moments, she seemed to brighten up. "Hey, Lynne-chan, I have an idea!" Lynne sat up and looked at Yoshika with interest. "Oh? What is it?" Yoshika smiled. "I saw a river while we were flying in, and I think it's close to here. We should go swim and clean off!" Lynne thought for a moment, brow furrowing a bit in worry. "But if we go far from here, they won't be able to find us as easily!" Yoshika seemed to consider this. "It's fine, we can always come back!" The Brittanian didn't look quite convinced, but nodded. "I guess we sort of need it..." she said, staring down at her bloody uniform as well.

 _~9:00 AM_

The mist seemed to have faded now, and the pair of Lynette and Yoshika made their way through the forest. Yoshika seemed excited, and grinned as she pulled along a protesting Lynne in the direction of the river. As they neared, the sounds of the rushing water could be heard. This only made the Fuso witch more excited as she practically dragged along the helpless Brittanian. As they broke through a last line of trees, the river came into view. Yoshika let go of the other witch, much to Lynne's relief, who stopped to catch her breath. Yoshika was already taking off her sailor's top. Lynne, feeling left behind, began removing her coat. As she undressed, she discarded her rather torn leggings. Yoshika quickly finished and ran down to the water, top in hand and beckoning for Lynne to follow. The Brittanian quickly finished, shivering now that she was down to just her underclothes, and followed Yoshika, who was now dipping her top into the water. Lynne followed suit, beginning to wash her jacket and shirt in the water, other assorted clothing set aside. After a while of getting out as much blood and dirt as she could, she set her clothes down on the rocky riverside. Yoshika seemed to finish up as well, setting her top out to dry.

The Fuso witch then stood and began wading her way into the water, intending to clean herself after having cleaned her clothes. She shivered, taking in a sharp breath as she entered the cold water, but seemed to grow used to it after a few moments, gesturing for Lynne to come in as well. The other witch was more apprehensive about entering the frigid water, stepping in slowly, inch by inch. Finally she made her way out to Yoshika, clenching her teeth and shivering. Yoshika laughed and quickly ducked down under the water to wet her hair. Lynne did the same after a while, letting her hair out of its signature braid. Yoshika looked over at Lynne mischievously, tossing a handful of water at her, which was rewarded with a cry of protest and a responding salvo of water. This went on before some time before both, laughing, got out of the river and moved to sit on the bank. After a bit more joking, they both sat back and relaxed as they waited for both themselves and their clothes to dry off. The sun seemed to finally be showing, covering them in bright, warm, light. After a while of talking and relaxing, they dressed again and began heading back. It was almost eleven when they reached the flat-topped hill again, and they laid back on the warm grass when they reached the top. After a while, Lynne scooted closer to Yoshika, reaching to interlace her fingers with the other witch's. Yoshika blushed softly and gazed over at Lynne with an open mouth, glancing down at their hands and then up at the Brittanian's face. She looked nervous, but allowed Lynne to hold her hand, looking back up into the sky and smiling.


End file.
